Louth to petition Croke Park to rein state minutes silence

LOUTH GAA chiefs will petition Croke Park to restore the traditional minute of silence observed before inter-county matches as a mark of respect to deceased Gaels.

Central Council rduced the 60-second ritual to just 20 seconds last month and former Louth chairman Paddy OLiver led calls at Monday night’s Louth County Committee meeting to have the decision overturned.

‘It takes five to 10 seconds for people to realise a minute silence is being observed, so I don’t know how they justify reducing it to 20 seconds - it will be over before it starts,’ declared the Pat’s clubman.

Several delegates sup-portered Mr Oliver’s call to petition Central Council on the issue with CCC chairman Thomas McQuillan insisting that: ‘people who dedicated their lives to the Association surely deserve more respect than that.’

Sean O’Mahony’s clubman Pat O’Brien wondered if the move was commercially motivated, freeing up valuable on-air sponsorship time.

County chairman Des Halpenny suggested Louth should write to Central Council, but Ard Comhairle delegate Paddy McMahon said he would he happy to raise the issue at the next Central Council meeting and ask the Council to reconsider the decision.

‘I will take the views here tonight back to Ard Comohairle and tell them that we unanimously passed a proposal here tonight to have the decision rescinded,’ he declared.

Meanwhile, a large portion of Monday night’s committee meeting was dominated by a simmering dispute over the club contribution levy.

The debate that has dragged on since Clan Na Gael requested a figure for outstanding money at annual convention.

Aidan Kirk said his club had written to the county secretary - his fellow clubman Fra Kieran - requesting the figure, but that they had heard nothing back since.

Mr Kieran said the manage- ment committee had received the request and wanted to meet with the Clans chairman, secretary and treasurer, but Mr Kirk said his club didn’t ‘need’ or ‘want’ a meeting.

He added that the management committee wanted to exclude him from any such meeting.

County Chairman Des Halpenny said he would go back to management and inform the committee that the Clans were refusing to meet with them and bring them up-to-date on Mr Kirk’s response.